News Release

Missoula Woman Dies in Diving Accident

Date: November 2, 2020
Contact: Gina Kerzman, 406-888-5838

WEST GLACIER, Mont. [November 2, 2020] – On Sunday, November 1 at approximately 5:50 p.m., a Glacier National Park Ranger responded to a report of a scuba diving accident at Lake McDonald. An 18-year-old female from Missoula was declared deceased after resuscitation efforts by members of the diving group and first responders were unsuccessful.

The deceased was part of a scuba diving group of six people that started their dive near the dock of Lake McDonald Lodge around 4:00 pm.

At the time of the incident, by-standers drove to Apgar Village for cell signal to call 911. A.L.E.R.T. was first on the scene, about thirty minutes after the initial 911 call. A second diver, a 22-year-old male, suffered shortness of breath and was transported by Three Rivers Ambulance to Kalispell Regional Medical Center. He was later flown to Seattle, Wash. for hyperbaric treatment.

The incident is under investigation and names have not yet been released
pending next of kin notification. Lake McDonald is popular among some scuba diving groups because of submerged artifacts. Permits are not required to dive in Glacier National Park and diving equipment is not subject to Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) inspections.

Glacier National Park thanks the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Dive Team, Three Rivers Ambulance, and A.L.E.R.T. for their assistance in this rescue effort.